Fruits and Sugars

Sugar Content of Fruit

In general, fresh fruits are healthy, nutritious foods that are good sources of vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and fiber. Further, they are instrumental in maintaining a net alkaline-yielding diet. Olives, dates, figs, and grapes were some of the first fruits to be domesticated, and pits from these fruits initially appear in the archeological record about 6,000 years ago in the Near East. However, the common fruits we eat today bear little resemblance to their wild ancestors. Domesticated fruits are almost always larger, sweeter, and contain less fiber than their wild counterparts. Compare a Golden Delicious apple to a crab apple and you begin to get the picture.

Dr. Cordain’s original recommendation to eat fresh fruits as your appetite dictates still holds for most people. However, if you are very much overweight or are insulin resistant, he recommends that you initially limit high sugar fruits (grapes, bananas, mangos, sweet cherries, apples, pineapples, pears and kiwi fruit) from your diet until your weight starts to normalize and your health improves. Try to include more vegetables in lieu of the high-sugar fruit. As per his previous recommendations, dried fruits contain excessive sugar, and from the table below, you can see they more closely resemble commercial candy than their fresh counterparts. Note that some fruits (avocados, lemons, and limes) are very low in total sugar and should not be restricted.

For insulin-resistant subjects, fructose consumption may be particularly problematic. Consequently, he has tabulated the total metabolic fructose for items in the Table below. Metabolic fructose = (fructose + ½*sucrose). In the gut, table sugar (sucrose) is split into its two component parts (fructose and glucose) before it enters the bloodstream. Hence sucrose’s contribution to the total dietary fructose load must be considered.

Table of Fruits and Sugars

(grams sugar per 100 grams; Tot. met. = Total metabolic)

Total Sugars

GLUCOSE

GALACTOSE

FRUCTOSE

SUCROSE

LACTOSE

MALTOSE

TOT. MET. FRUCTOSE

FRESH FRUIT

Apples

13.3

2.3

7.6

3.3

9.3

Apricots

9.3

1.6

0.7

5.2

3.1

3.3

Avocado, California

0.9

0.5

0.2

0.1

0.3

Avocado, Florida

0.9

0.5

0.2

0.1

0.3

Banana

15.6

4.2

2.7

6.5

6

Blackberries

8.1

3.1

4.1

0.4

4.3

Blueberries

7.3

3.5

3.6

0.2

3.7

Cantaloupe

8.7

1.2

1.8

5.4

4.5

Casaba melon

4.7

0.3

0

Cherries, sweet

14.6

8.1

6.2

0.2

1.3

6.3

Cherries, sour

8.1

4.2

3.3

0.5

3.6

Elderberries

7

Figs

6.9

3.7

2.8

0.4

3

Grapefruit, pink

6.2

1.3

1.2

3.4

2.9

Grapefruit, white

6.2

1.3

1.2

3.4

2.9

Grapes

18.1

6.5

0.4

7.6

0.1

7.6

Guava

6

1.2

1.9

1

0.7

2.4

Guava, strawberry

6

1.2

1.9

1

2.4

Honeydew melon

8.2

Jackfruit

8.4

1.4

1.4

5.4

4.1

Kiwi fruit

10.5

5

4.3

1.1

4.9

Lemon

2.5

1

0.8

0.6

1.1

Lime

0.4

0.2

0.2

0.2

Mamey Apple

6.5

1.1

3.7

1.6

4.5

Mango

14.8

0.7

2.9

9.9

7.9

Nectarine

8.5

1.2

6.2

3.1

Orange

9.2

2.2

2.5

4.2

4.6

Papaya

5.9

1.4

2.7

1.8

0.4

3.6

Peach

8.7

1.2

1.3

5.6

4.1

Pear

10.5

1.9

6.4

1.8

7.3

Pear, Bosc

10.5

1.9

6.4

1.8

7.3

Pear, D’Anjou

10.5

1.9

6.4

1.8

7.3

Pineapple

11.9

2.9

2.1

3.1

3.7

Plum

7.5

2.7

1.8

3

3.3

Pomegranate

10.1

5

4.7

0.4

4.9

Purple Passion Fruit or Granadilla

11.2

4

3.1

3.3

4.8

Raspberries

9.5

3.5

3.2

2.8

1

4.6

Starfruit

7.1

3.1

3.2

0.8

0.1

3.6

Strawberries

5.8

2.2

2.5

1

3

Tangerine

7.7

Tomato

2.8

1.1

1.4

1.4

Watermelon

9

1.6

3.3

3.6

5.1

DRIED FRUIT

Dates

64.2

44.6

22.3

Dried apricots

38.9

20.3

12.2

6.4

15.4

Dried figs

62.3

26.9

3.9

24.4

6.1

27.5

Dried mango

73

Dried papaya

53.5

Dried peaches

44.6

15.8

15.6

13.2

22.2

Dried pears

49

Dried prunes

44

28.7

14.8

0.5

15.1

Raisins

65

31.2

33.8

33.8

Raisins, Golden

70.6

32.7

37.1

0.8

37.5

Zante currants

70.6

32.7

37.1

0.8

37.5

PURE SUGARS

Sucrose (table sugar)

97

97

48.5

Maple sugar

85.2

4.3

4.3

75

41.8

Honey

81.9

33.8

42.4

1.5

4.2

43.2

High fructose corn syrup (42)

71

36.9

29.8

2.1

29.8

High fructose corn syrup (55)

77

30.8

42.4

2.3

42.4

High fructose corn syrup (90)

80

7.2

72

72

Molasses

60

11.2

12.9

34.7

30.3

Sorghum syrup

65.7

33.5

Brown sugar

89.7

5.2

84.1

42.1

CANDY

M & M chocolate candy

64.7

54.9

7.6

27.5

Lifesavers

66.5

66.5

33.3

Hard candy

62.3

66.7

33.4

Bit O Honey

42.4

5

0.5

27

2.5

5

14

Almond Joy

44.9

Baby Ruth

42

Butterfinger

48.8

Caramello Candy Bar

54.2

Nestles Crunch Candy Bar

52.4

0.2

45.1

6.8

22.8

Nestles 100 Grand Candy Bar

63.5

Nestles Raisinets

62.5

Reeses Pieces

50

Skittles

76.4

Nestles Plain Milk Chocolate Candy Bar

51

Hershey’s Kisses

50

Sugar babies

72.9

Milk Duds

50

Junior Mints

82.2

The information on this page was compiled using the Nutritionist V Database.

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